You Are A Victim of Crime? - Find Out More

Fraudsters Are Stealing Your Money

The Government has estimated that Benefit Fraud costs the country approximately £80 per household. We are taking positive steps to:

• Make fraud harder to commit.
• Detect and catch more fraudsters.
• Encourage people to report those they suspect of committing fraud.
• Tell people fraud is not acceptable.

Our overall aim is to promote benefit take up for those who are entitled, whilst minimising the amount of fraud and error that enters the system.

Please find out more below:

The Cost of Benefit Fraud

Every case of Benefit Fraud costs you and your family:

• Would you like to pay less Council Tax?
• Are you annoyed that benefit cheats are wasting your money?
• Should the fraudsters get away with it?

Estimates show that around £600m of Housing Benefit has been lost to fraud and error. Every year Councils and their partner organisations are doing more and more to reduce the amount lost. And that is just Housing Benefit - The total loss to Welfare Benefit Fraud (including other welfare benefits like income support) is estimated to be around £1 Billion pounds, or:

• 12,500 Doctors
• 28,000 Teachers
• 25,000 Police Officers

So What Are They Getting Away With?

• Not telling us about a change in their circumstances
• Undeclared work
• Undeclared savings
• Sources of income we did not know about (including other benefits)
• Undeclared partner
• Not telling us the full facts

Any of the people depicted here could be committing fraud, read to see which are most likely to be getting away with it:

	This lady might look professional and above suspicion, but experience proves that even the most innocent looking people could be committing benefit fraud. Remember most people are honest and claim their proper entitlement.
	It is true that young people could be committing benefit fraud, but then potentially so could all the other groups depicted on this page. Remember most people are honest and claim their proper entitlement, but we need to be vigilant as anyone could be committing fraud.
	We make no apologies for the stereotype, it is important to note that anyone could be committing benefit fraud, not just those who look like they might be. Remember most people are honest and claim their proper entitlement.
	This chap might look innocent enough but pensioners also commit benefit fraud. Remember most people are honest and claim their proper entitlement, we need to be vigilant as anyone could be committing fraud.
	This chap might look dubious but we need evidence of fraud. Remember most people are honest and claim their proper entitlement, but we need to be vigilant as anyone could be committing fraud.
	There are professional gangs that make a good living out of Benefit Fraud but they may not look as obvious as this gang. Remember most people are honest and claim their proper entitlement but those who are committing fraud should be reported and dealt with.

Action We Are Taking to Fight Fraud

We have specialist teams of investigators and commit significant resources to Deterring, Preventing and Detecting Benefit Fraud.

Wherever possible we will recover the money that has been fraudulently claimed.

In addition we may impose the following sanctions:

Prosecution: In the courts, which could lead to a criminal conviction, fine or prison.

Administrative Penalty: 30% financial penalty plus repayment of the amount fraudulently obtained.

Formal Caution: Similar to a police caution.

The Consequences for Benefit Cheats

Wherever possible when we catch a fraudster we will take them to court, which may result in:

• Named and shamed in local or even the national press
• Criminal record
• Fine
• Compensation order
• Assets seized
• Community service
• Custodial sentence

Working With Others

Each Council has a range of partners and stakeholders with whom they work closely to eliminate fraud. Internally we share information between departments using computer data matching techniques. We also share information with the following external agencies:

• Housing Associations.
• Jobcentre Plus.
• DWP
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Police
• Banks & Building Societies
• Immigration

Using Technology to Catch Benefit Cheats

We have a range of computerised systems at our disposal to match data between agencies such as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue & Customs. Continuously improving technology and usage of the world wide web will help to ensure:

• Quicker flow of information between Government agencies and Councils.
• Better customer understanding to ensure people who need benefits claim their entitlement.
• Reduction in overpayments and errors.
• Increased ability to identify fraudulent behaviour and catch the cheats quickly.
• Potential to use IT developments and improved infrastructure for future links to other partner organisations.

Why Do We Need Your Help?

It is very likely that you will be aware of information which could lead to the detection of fraud. It is even possible that you know someone who is claiming benefit they are not entitled to.

Please don't forget :

• It is your money that is being stolen by fraudsters.
• Fraudsters are taking money that would be spent on those genuinely in need.
• You can help to increase the likelihood of fraud being detected at the earliest opportunity.

We cannot detect fraud effectively without your help, you are the person best placed to identify potentially fraudulent activity.

Many pensioners don't take up the benefits they are entitled to.

The Government would have another billion pounds to spend on pensioners and others that need assistance if together we cracked fraud.

Make a Referral

Referrals can be made in a variety of ways and we would encourage you to contact us in whichever way you feel is most appropriate.
Look on our website for details of how to do this.

We do a lot of work to catch fraudsters and already get high numbers of anonymous calls giving good quality information which leads to convictions in the courts.

But we cannot have our eyes and ears everywhere. If every honest citizen worked with us, together we could stamp out Benefit Fraud and ensure benefit is paid to the needy not the greedy.

Don't bury your head in the sand, it is your money that is being stolen!

Summary

We investigate everything that is reported to us. The key issue regarding catching fraudsters is quality of information.

Remember our investigations can take some time and it is not always easy to see what action we are taking.

The law says we have to keep information about people confidential, so we cannot give progress reports to the person who reported the possible fraud.

Thank you for taking the time to view this information.

Additional Information

For more information on what we are doing to combat Benefit Fraud, visit our website or click on the link below to visit the DWP site.

DWP Targeting Fraud Website